Here are your free books and video!
Would You Like to Break Through to the Next Level?
Enjoy and learn.
Free Training Video
with Grand Master Stephen Oliver
Stephen Oliver and his team are on an
UNSTOPPABLE MISSION
to help our fans (and our industry) take their martial arts school to the next level this year.
Who is Stephen Oliver
|
A Little Background:Maybe I was just born under a lucky star – but when it comes to running a professional martial arts school I was born with the proverbial “Silver Spoon.” My training started in 1969 in the Texas/Oklahoma “Blood & Guts” era. I was with the at Jhoon Rhee Institute Branch in Tulsa, OK in the Jhoon Rhee, Allen Steen, Pat Burleson linage being directly taught at when I started by Jhoon Rhee Black Belts Gran & Greg Moulder, Bob Olinghouse, and David Harrelson. I started my first school (under Jhoon Rhee) in 1974 and, concurrently trained with Jeff Smith along with Roger Green (Joe Lewis’ first Black Belt), and a variety of others in Oklahoma and Texas. In 1978 I received by Black Belt directly from Jhoon Rhee along with Jeff Smith and a wide collection of champion Kickboxers and forms competitors. I was offered a teaching position in Washington. I was a National Merit Scholar and A student and already was accepted for college at the University of Tulsa with a full scholarship for the first year and partial scholarship beyond the first year. I attended school there while applying for transfer to Princeton, Stanford, and Wharton along with Georgetown University. While attended college at Georgetown University I was a head instructor and branch manager for The Jhoon Rhee Institute, in Washington, D.C. At the time the Jhoon Rhee Institute was the #1 martial arts business organization in the world. I sat through hours and hours of training sessions and meetings with a few notable figures in the martial arts industry: Jhoon Rhee (father of American Tae Kwon Do,) Nick Cokinos (Then President of the Jhoon Rhee Institute, now chairman and owner of Educational Funding Company,) Jeff Smith (the DC Bomber – first World Light Heavy Weight Kickboxing Champion and one of the top school owner’s in the United States,) Ned Muffley (then General Manager for the Jhoon Rhee Institute and now General Manager for Educational Funding Company) and many other’s. When I graduated from Georgetown – I decided against moving on to big corporate America – and, put pursuing an MBA on hold. I put together a very extensive business plan with Jhoon Rhee, Nick Cokinos, Jeff Smith and Ned Muffley’s help. Spent 12 months studying direct response, business management, and sales marketing at the Library of Congres and the SBA. Read everything that I could get my hands on about advertising – specifically direct mail and copywriting. I also spend several months at the Federal Trade Commission where I had an opportunity to read the sales manuals and management training materials for every major health spa chain in the United States and the other larger martial arts school organizations. In a rather gutsy move I then moved across the country to Denver, Colorado and with $10,000 opened 5 schools in 18 months – and grew to over 1,500 active students and over a $1,000,000 in revenue by 1985. Over the year’s I’ve continued to develop my schools and experiment with a huge number approaches. In 1989 I decided to extend my management knowledge base and went back to school for a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (ie. MBA) with a primary focus marketing. At the same time I began promoting the Mile High Karate Classic – which for 10 years was a very successful and highly rated NASKA world tour event. During these many year’s I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with just about every successful business person, teacher, and school owner in the martial arts industry. I’m lucky to count as close friends a range of leaders including Nick Cokinos, Jhoon Rhee, Jeff Smith, Andrew Wood, Tim and Dave Kovar, Steve LaVallee, Keith Hafner and just about everyone who’s accomplished anything in our industry. These industry leader’s have taught me much – and, I believe often consider me a mentor and leader in the business of martial arts school operations. During these years I’ve had many huge successes – and, some spectacular failures. As in all endeavors – the failures have taught me much more than the successes. What I consider by greatest strength is a willingness to continue to take risks and try new approaches to all of the challenges of school operation. In the recent past – I decided to pursue what I think of as an informal Ph.D. in Internet and Direct Response Marketing. I’ve traveled around North America – and spent way over $250,000 on a variety of internet marketing, direct marketing, and sales training seminars and programs – and, have developed several internet companies – many totally unrelated to martial arts. I continue to run a chain of schools that’s spread out from Washington, D.C. where we have a national training center, to Denver to Fresno and Miami along with New Zealand and Australia. I’ve written a series of books on Marketing and Management for Martial Arts Schools and a series on Character Development and Leadership for kids and lecture around the world on School operations – and, continue to expand my knowledge of all details or running a successful martial arts business. |
Success Stories
Hello sir.
Last weekend was incredible! I learned enough in the first 10 minutes to pay for my trip. With all that we learned it should add at least 100K to our bottom line in all 3 locations over the next year. We are already planning our trip to the marketing bootcamp in Denver! Thank you so much to Grandmaster Jeff Smith, Grandmaster Stephen Oliver and Sr. Master Moody your precise and to the point deliver was right on!
Your knowledge of every aspect of running a Martial Arts business is vast.
Thanks! Les and Jenni Edwards
. . . . . .
THANK YOU INNER CIRCLE TEAM!
If you haven’t joined Inner Circle, you are seriously missing out on increasing your income immediately by at least two fold. All of Grandmaster Oliver’s sales, marketing, and operational mentoring helped us train our staff to organize a weekend event that generated 107 appointments and over 35 immediate enrollments. We have increased our monthly billables by 6K and 15K in cash. Easily worth the price of admission. THANK YOU INNER CIRCLE TEAM!